Read a full match report for the Premier League game between Stoke City and
West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, March 16 2013.

Ben Foster immediately followed his return to the England squad with a clean sheet against Stoke, but this shut-out was not the achievement that it would have been in years gone by. This Stoke side have developed seemingly unshakable problems in the final third of the pitch.

Facing Stoke, particularly at this ground, used to be a goalkeeper’s nightmare. All they needed was a set-piece in the vicinity of the opposition penalty area to induce panic. But these days, Tony Pulis’s team can dominate possession, create the better chances – as they did here – and still not look like scoring. They have won just one of their past 11 games.

Foster, named in the national squad after a self-imposed two-year absence, looked relatively comfortable. When he gathered a late, tame Kenwyne Jones effort, it summarised his afternoon; he just needed to be alert enough to do the basics right.

Roy Hodgson, the England manager, would have been encouraged by his assuredness. “All Ben can do is what he’s done,” said Steve Clarke, West Bromwich Albion’s head coach, when asked if he expected Foster to push Joe Hart hard for the No 1 shirt. “It’s good for England that they’ve got good competition.”

Stoke should have done so much better in their attempts to test him, though. Pulis, under pressure because of the heightened expectations that he has created at his club, clearly urged his team to be positive. They showed attacking intent for long spells of the first half and again in the closing stages but ruthlessness is missing.

The reverse fixture was a dire game in which Stoke pinched victory with one goal. This was another poor quality affair, but this time a Stoke goal never looked likely, despite all their pressure. Pulis was candid in admitting that their lack of goals is an issue. “Yeah, very much so,” he said. “The final third, at times, has been the problem.” At least his side managed a clean sheet. Before this, Stoke had gone eight league home games without one, having kept four in a row before the slide.

Another failure to keep out the opposition might have turned the frustrated crowd further against Pulis. There were some boos at full time, but no sense that the unhappiness at the manager has increased after this result. Pulis attempted to put a positive spin on the atmosphere. “There was a very positive feeling around the ground,” he said.

The home fans might have felt more aggrieved had West Brom shown more cutting edge in the final third. Romelu Lukaku, such a success story on loan this season, had a disappointing day. He had a couple of scoring chances early in the second half, but his finishing lacked sharpness.

West Brom brought on Peter Odemwingie in his place – and the Nigerian received much applause, although there were still some boos.

It would have been harsh on Stoke if West Brom had won. “It was a game of very few chances and very little entertainment,” admitted Clarke.

Sections of Stoke’s support have become frustrated by Pulis’s long-ball football, and much of that was in evidence again. Foster had his only scare in the first half when he caught a high cross then appeared to carry it out of his penalty area, but he was not punished.